


What Remains

by lilithfatale



Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 09:22:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11756823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilithfatale/pseuds/lilithfatale
Summary: Eight years after the death of Bonaparte Black Claw returns to wreak vengeance on Sean Renard. Nick and Adalind help Diana through her grief and reflect on their complicated past in the wake of Renard's death. Can they protect their family and friends from this new (old) threat?





	What Remains

**Author's Note:**

> I had this fic idea running through my head for weeks so it was time to put it on paper...and the internet. I have a lot more written so this will be updated pretty regularly (once I work out how to divide it up).
> 
> Feedback welcome!

“NO!”

 

Diana struggled against Nick’s arms as he physically hauled her out of the house.

 

“DADDY!”

 

Her eyes glowed a searing white and the whole building began to shake. They barely made it out onto the sidewalk before the windows blew out, coating everything in glittering shards. The walls swayed dangerously.

 

“Diana”, Nick said, as soothingly as possible, “we have to go.”

 

“But-”

 

“You can’t help him now. He would want me to keep you safe.”

 

Nick expected her to whip him away with a flick of a wrist and leave him crumpled on the ground. He steeled himself…but the attack never came. Diana’s shoulders slumped and the fierce white light in her eyes dimmed and went out. She nodded mutely and followed him back to the car.

 

***

 

On the drive home Nick finally had time to think. He kept his eyes on the road, his head spinning. Black Claw were back and they were out for blood. Did their thirst for revenge end with Renard or would they come for him and his family? Did Black Claw know where they lived? They could find out, he thought, his blood going cold. Maybe we can use the tunnels…

 

He paused. The passenger seat was eerily silent. He glanced over to see Diana staring straight ahead, her expression unreadable. He had no idea what to say.

 

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. Diana nodded, her gaze never wavering from the street. “I know.” She hesitated, then said, “you’ll find them, won’t you?”

 

He heard the slight tremor in her voice and his heart ached. She wasn’t a powerful and dangerous Hexenbiest – at least, not in that moment. She was a twelve-year-old girl whose world had just fallen apart. He reached over on impulse and took her hand. It was like ice.

 

“We’ll find them,” he said firmly. “We’ll find them, and we’ll make them pay. I promise.”

 

Diana didn’t speak but she squeezed his hand. They drove the rest of the way home in silence.

 

***

 

Adalind was waiting in the kitchen when they got back. “How did it -” she saw their expressions and stopped mid-sentence. “What happened?”

 

Diana flung herself into her mother’s arms and held her tightly, sobbing. Adalind met Nick’s gaze with a silent question.

 

“Renard is dead,” he said heavily, dropping his bag onto the table and sitting down. He felt so tired.

 

Adalind stared at him, for a moment too shocked to speak. She held Diana close to her, murmuring softly. “Honey, let’s get you to bed…” she looked at Nick and he nodded, the message understood. Standing up from the chair, he picked Diana up and carried her upstairs.

 

“Where’s Mommy?” Diana asked, her voice wobbling. She sounded like a small child again.

 

“She’s making you some cocoa,” Nick said gently, setting her down on her bed. “It will help you sleep.”

 

“I can’t sleep,” Diana sobbed, her voice raw with grief. “Daddy’s gone. He’s _gone_.”

 

Nick drew her close and let her cry on him for a while, her tears soaking his shirt. Adalind appeared in the doorway with a steaming mug in her hand. “Come on honey. Drink this.”

 

Diana took the cocoa and sniffed it. Her eyes glowed violet and she looked accusingly at her mother. “You put a sleeping draught in it!”

 

Adalind and Nick exchanged a look: Diana could be too Hexenbiest for her own good.

 

“It will help you sleep,” Adalind said softly, stroking her daughter’s golden hair. “You need to sleep, sweetheart. Will you drink it? For me?”

 

Diana sipped the cocoa grudgingly; soon she was unable to keep her eyes open. Nick touched Adalind’s shoulder and turned to leave.

 

“Remember your promise,” Diana said drowsily from under the duvet. Nick nodded. “I will. Sleep well.”

 

He closed the door behind him and went into Kelly’s room. The little boy was sound asleep in his bed, curled up on his side. Nick softly stroked his son’s hair, his heart full. “I’ll keep you all safe,” he whispered. “I promise.”

 

He closed the door behind him and went downstairs.

 

 ***

  

Adalind came downstairs shortly afterwards to find him at the kitchen table drinking a beer. She poured herself a glass of wine and sat down.

 

“Diana’s asleep,” she said quietly. “What happened?”

 

Nick took a swig of his beer. “Black Claw,” he said. “Or what used to be Black Claw. They’re back.”

 

Adalind turned pale and she gripped her glass tightly. “I thought…I thought they had all gone.”

 

“So did I.” Nick’s face was grim.

 

“They killed Renard?”

 

“Just before we got there.” Nick rubbed his eyes wearily. “I found the body. I tried to keep Diana away, but-”

 

Adalind took his hands in hers. “I know.”

 

They sat there in silence for a minute. “How did you know it was Black Claw?” she asked.

 

“They left their mark, the claw symbol. In Renard’s blood,” Nick said soberly. “Adalind – they might be coming for us next. For all of us.”

 

Adalind held his hands tightly. “We’ll find them,” she said, simply. “But right now we need to warn the others. You need to warn the others.”

 

Nick stroked the knuckles of her left hand with his thumb. “I don't want to leave you alone with the kids...”

 

She leaned over and kissed him. “The others need to know, Nick. This isn’t a phone conversation.”

 

He nodded, reluctantly. “Okay. But be careful.”

 

She smiled a brief smile that flashed across her face and was gone. “You too.”

 

He kissed her tenderly and then stood up. “I’ll go to Monroe and Rosalee’s first. I’ll call when I’m on my way back. Loft Rules.”

 

Loft Rules. The rules they had made eight years ago, when Adalind had come back to the loft after Bonaparte’s death. If Nick didn’t call when he said he would, then something was wrong and Adalind should take the children and run.

 

Adalind nodded, trying to ignore the panic rising in her throat. “I’ll set up a protection spell. Go, it’s getting late.”

 

Nick gave her one last kiss and left.

 

Adalind went to the kitchen cupboard, specially marked to ward off Diana’s prying eyes (the idea of Diana mixing her own potions unsupervised had filled both Adalind and Nick with dread) and fetched the ingredients she needed. She mixed and prepared on autopilot while her mind went elsewhere.

 

Sean was dead. It seemed impossible. Whatever their relationship had been – however Renard had used Adalind and betrayed her when it suited him – he had loved their daughter, and he had done right by her. He had been part of their lives for so long – for better and for worse – and now he was gone, leaving an odd absence in Adalind’s life and a huge black hole in Diana’s.

 

Adalind’s hand went involuntarily to her chest. Diana. How was her little girl going to get through this? At least I was a grown woman when my mother died, she thought sadly. What are we going to do?

 

She could feel the despair and panic rising further, choking her from inside…she took a deep breath and exhaled, mentally shaking herself. There was no time for that now. Not with Black Claw in Portland, possibly still out for revenge, wanting to hurt her children and the man she loved. She gritted her teeth, forced the panic back down and set to work.

 

 


End file.
